"Ancient Runes" a Severus Snape ff - Snape x OC

Chapter 22

"Liquorice Snap!" Lysanna said and slowly the stairs to the Headmaster's office opened up. Albus had already told her at lunch that he would like to see her, so Lysanna had made her way straight to the Headmaster's office after her class. She could already guess why he would want to talk to her.

Since the walk with Severus a few days ago, Lysanna had spent a lot of time contemplating whether she shouldn't just stay at Hogwarts after all. However, again and again she had come to the decision that her actual task lay with the ministry. She had made it so far there and all career opportunities were still open to her, provided Theodor had calmed down in the meantime. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy teaching at Hogwarts, but what perspective did she have here?

"Ah, Lysanna, there you are. Come in! A cup of tea?" Albus greeted her warmly. In any case, there was no such thing in the ministry...

"That would be nice, Albus. You wanted to see me?" Lysanna asked, taking the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk. While Albus poured tea into two cups, Lysanna glanced around the office. She had always been fascinated by this room, there was something to discover in every corner (even if the tower room, strictly speaking, actually had no corners). The phoenix sat asleep on its perch. It had already lost some feathers and seemed to be nearing the end of its life cycle.

"Here you go. A couple of chocolate chip biscuits with that?" Albus asked, looking at her over his half-moon spectacles with a smile.

"Just tea, thanks," Lysanna declined politely.

"You most likely already guessed what I want to talk to you about, right?" Albus continued after helping himself to a chocolate chip biscuit.

"You probably want to persuade me to stay here, don't you?" Lysanna answered his question with another question.

Albus nodded with a laugh.

"Persuading might be the wrong word here, Lysanna, but I wanted to talk to you about it at least once. Of course I understand if you want to return to your department at the Ministry as planned, but you have proven to be an extremely talented professor and not only have you become well respected by the students, your colleagues have also grown very fond of you," Albus explained with a knowing grin. Lysanna wasn't quite sure if he only meant to allude to Severus with his last comment or if he was just referring to everyone in general. She had already experienced firsthand that Albus was rather curious. Nevertheless, the words still flattered her. Lysanna herself had noticed that the students seemed to like her, as well as her colleagues. After all, she had developed an almost friendly relationship with all of them. With Lockhart gone, there wasn't anyone on the staff she couldn't get along with. Another reason for staying at Hogwarts. At the Ministry, everyone was only concerned with their own interests and advancement, so there simply was no room for real friendships.

"I have to admit that I enjoy working here a lot more than I expected.." Lysanna hesitated.

"But?" Albus asked, noticing her hesitation.

"Well, I'll be honest with you. I... well, the ministry expects me to come back. At least that's what I think." Lysanna wasn't too sure after all these considerations.

"Honestly, I don't know what the right decision is. I've been racking my brains about this for days and can't really come up with a solution. It is.."

"Maybe you should stop letting your head make those decisions." Albus interrupted with a grin on his face. Lysanna stared at the headmaster in wonder, surprised by his directness.

"I think you know what I am trying to tell you." He commented on Lysanna's expression. She just nodded, slightly struggling to regain control over her facial expressions.

"He really likes you," Albus added in a soft voice and a genuine smile. Were the two of them talking to each other? Had Severus perhaps even tried to get Dumbledore to persuade her to stay? No, that was absurd.. Lysanna knew Severus well enough by now to know that he certainly wasn't discussing his love life with Albus. Though Lysanna couldn't really figure it out, the headmaster's words inevitably made her smile.

"I know Albus. I.. I'll just have to think about it a bit more." Lysanna explained. She didn't want to and couldn't make a definitive statement yet.

"Have you got any plans for the holidays yet?" Albus changed the subject quite abruptly. Lysanna needed a moment to be able to follow this change of topic, she was still too deep in her thoughts.

"I was planning on visiting my parents. After I wasn't there over Christmas, I think it's about time again.", Lysanna replied and focused on the conversation with the headmaster again.

"Oh that's nice! Minerva once told me that your parents travel a lot. I assume you're on good terms with your parents?" Albus asked interestedly.

"Let's say it's.. okay. My father and I do not always agree, but we somehow still get along. He thinks Internal Investigations is not the right department for me. He's always telling me to find a decent position in the ministry. But well.. they indeed travel a lot so we rarely see each other anyway." Lysanna explained with a smile.

The conversation between the two went on for quite a while, as Albus was very interested in Lysanna's work at the ministry. So as she finally left the Headmaster's office, it was almost time for dinner.

-

Severus had looked for Lysanna that afternoon, but was then told by Minerva that she was probably in the Headmaster's office, as Albus had wanted to talk to her. When he entered the great hall, Lysanna was already there, talking to Pomona.

The uncertainty concerning her decision was getting to him more than he had expected and he really hoped she wouldn't wait too long with her final decision. Even more, of course, he hoped that she would decide against the ministry in the end.

"Severus, nice to see you." She gave him that adorable smile as a greeting again, but then went back to talking to Pomona. Admittedly he wasn't even mad at that, the uncertainty and the fear of having to let her go made it difficult for him to start a conversation with her anyway.

He knew there was absolutely no use in pressuring her into anything. Lysanna had to make this decision all by herself, all he could do in the meantime was to wait. She had told him already that she would be going to visit her parents for the holidays. The holidays that would already be starting the day after tomorrow. A whole week without her, without her pretty smile, her tender touch and her lovely taunts. He already couldn't even imagine what it was like without her. That thought only made him realise how much she already meant to him and that frightened him. The fear of rejection that he had been so successful at suppressing over the past few weeks became more and more present with each passing day as the end of the school year drew nearer. He was well aware that he was standing in his own way, but Severus just wasn't ready to take that risk, not when he couldn't be sure that their love would even have a future.